Learning How To Draw More Freely

Different kinds of skills are involved with drawing, i.e. proportion, letting it flow, tightening it up. In this article I will discuss tips and the process that I went through.

When I first decided to be an artist, I hadn't drawn anything for years. As a kid, I thought I had to pursue something that was more viable. I eventually put my art aside and trained for other, more "lucrative" careers.

After pursuing those other paths for a number of years, I finally gave myself permission to honor my first love.

My first drawing attempts as an adult were laughable.

I'm serious. We used to pull out my portrait attempts, and laugh at them.

I laughed too, they were that funny. Heads looked more like bowling balls. Maybe I should make some bowling ball art.

Anyway, not having been practicing my art for decades, let's just say it was time to learn and practice some techniques.

I was already drawing freehand, but I had to learn how to get proportions down.

Kids learn a lot about proportion by tracing.

Tracing is one way. The way that I came across and pursued, was with the aid of using a grid. It involved placing a grid (drawn on a plastic protective sheet) over the drawing, and then drawing what was in each individual square. You can also turn the original drawing upside down, to help your mind think in replicating by actual sight, instead of what you "think" it should be.

Another variation of this method, is to place dots at various points to replicate the main design, and then quite simply, connect the dots.

Another method that I liked was drawing on graph paper. I could count the little squares to line things up and to get things be the same size, or not.

Anyway that you practice, helps to teach the brain the method that you are using, and the proportions too.

Once I got better at propotions, I needed to move on to drawing more freely.

My drawings were quite good, but I wanted to get beyond measuring, and using rulers, etc.

Not that those tools don't have a place anymore, they do. However, I wanted to loosen up. I wanted to be more relaxed when I drew. I needed some new skills. Low, and behold, there are exercises for that too.

Have you ever tried drawing while not looking at what you are drawing?

That was one of the main exercises in Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain, that I really liked.

The initial drawings done this way, did not look at all like the subject at all. These drawings weren't even laughable, they were unrecognizable! Was I getting better? Was this helpful?

It turned out to be yes. Because my mind was starting to work with and trust my hand. It led me to be able to combine the proportion techniques, with freehand drawing.

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

was the book that enlightened me, with the wonderful exercise that I mentioned above.